Vision Systems in Robotics

03/01/2024 Robotics, prepared by Prof. Dr. 1

Mahdi Alshamasin
 Objectives
 Have a knowledge about a vison systems used in robot

 Be familiar with different concepts used in vision system

03/01/2024 Robotics, prepared by Prof. Dr. Mahdi 2

Alshamasin
 Topics
Digital Images

Image Processing versus Image

Analysis
Depth Measurement with Vision
Systems

03/01/2024 Robotics, prepared by Prof. Dr. 3

Mahdi Alshamasin
 Image Analysis
Image analysis is a collection (‫)مجموعة‬of operations and
techniques used to extract (‫ )استخراج‬information from
images. This includes object recognition, feature
extraction, analysis of position, size, orientation, and
other properties of objects in images, and extraction of
depth information. Some techniques may be used for
multiple purposes. For example, moment equations may
be used for object recognition as well as calculation of
position and orientation of objects.

03/01/2024 Robotics, prepared by Prof. Dr. 4

Mahdi Alshamasin
 Image Processing versus Image Analysis
Images, as captured by a camera or other similar techniques
(such as a scanner), are not necessarily in a form that can be
used by image analysis routines. Some may need improvement to
reduce noise; some may need to be simplified; others may need to
be enhanced, altered, segmented, filtered, and so on. Image
processing is the collection of routines (‫) اإلجراءات‬and techniques
that improve, simplify, enhance, and otherwise alter an image.
Image analysis is the collection of processes by which a captured
and processed image is analyzed to extract information about the
content and to identify objects or other related facts about the
objects within the image or the environment.
Although all scenes are three-dimensional, images can either be
two-dimensional (lacking depth information) or three-dimensional
(containing depth information).
An image is a representation of a real scene, either in black and
white (B/W) or in color, and either in print or in digital form.
03/01/2024 Robotics, prepared by Prof. Dr. 5
Mahdi Alshamasin
 Digital Images
There are two types of vision cameras: analog and digital. Analog
cameras are no longer common but are still around and used to be
the standard camera at television stations. Digital cameras are the
current standard and are practically all the same.
The light intensities at each pixel location are measured and
converted to digital form regardless of the type of camera or image
acquisition system. The data is either stored in memory, in a file, or
in recording devices with an image format such as TIFF, JPG,
Bitmap, and so on, or is displayed on a monitor. Vision routines
generally access this information and perform some functions on
the data and either display the result or store the manipulated result
in a new file. A fundamental issue is to be able to extract information
or manipulate this collection of 0 and 1 values in a meaningful way.

03/01/2024 Robotics, prepared by Prof. Dr. 6

Mahdi Alshamasin
 Depth Measurement with Vision Systems

Extracting depth information (‫ )معلومات العمق‬from a scene

(‫ )المشهد‬is performed using two basic techniques.
One is the use of range finders(‫ )مكتشفات المدى‬in
conjunction with(‫ )بالتزامن مع‬a vision system (‫)نظام الرؤيا‬and
image-processing techniques(‫)تقنيات معالجة الصورة‬. In this
combination(‫)المجموعة‬, the scene is analyzed in relation
to (‫ )في ما يتعلق ب‬the information gathered by range
finders about the distances of different portions (‫مسافات‬
‫)االجزاء المختلفة‬of an environment or the location of
particular objects (‫)اجسام معينة‬or sections of the
object(‫)مقاطع من الجسم‬.

03/01/2024 Robotics, prepared by Prof. Dr. 7

Mahdi Alshamasin
 Depth Measurement with Vision Systems
Second is the use of binocular (‫)منظار‬or stereo vision
(‫)الرؤية المجهرية او المجسمة‬similar to humans and animals. In
this technique, either simultaneous images from multiple
cameras (‫)صور متزامنة من عدة كمرات‬or multiple images from
one camera that moves on a track (‫ )تحرك عل مسار‬are used
to extract depth information(‫)معلومات العمق‬. As long as the
scene does not change during this operation, the results
will be the same as the use of multiple cameras. Since the
location of the multiple (usually two) cameras in relation to
any particular point in the scene is slightly different, each
camera develops a slightly different image. By analyzing
and measuring the differences between the two scenes,
depth information can be extracted.
03/01/2024 Robotics, prepared by Prof. Dr. 8
Mahdi Alshamasin
 Range Detection and Depth Analysis
Range measurement and depth analysis (‫)تحليل المدى وقياسات العمق‬is
performed using many different techniques such as active
ranging, stereo imaging(‫)التصوير المجسم‬, scene analysis, or
specialized lighting(‫)االضاءة المتخصصة‬. Humans use a combination
of techniques to extract information about the depth and
positional relationship between different elements of an image.
Even in a two-dimensional image, humans can extract useful
information using details such as the changing size of similar
elements, vanishing lines(‫)خطوط التالشي‬, shadows(‫)الظالل‬, and
changing intensity of textures(‫ )التركيب او البنية‬and shades(‫)الظالل‬.
Since many artificial intelligence techniques are based on, and
studied for, understanding of the way humans do things, a
number of depth measurement techniques are designed after
similar human operations(‫)عمليلت بشرية مماثلة‬.

03/01/2024 Robotics, prepared by Prof. Dr. 9

Mahdi Alshamasin
 Scene Analysis versus Mapping
Scene analysis refers to the analysis of images developed by a
camera or other similar devices in which a complete scene is
analyzed. In other words, the image is a complete replica
(‫ )صورة طبق االصل‬of the scene within the resolution limit of the
device where all the details of the scene are included in the
image.
Mapping (‫) رسم الخرائط‬refers to drawing the surface topology of a
scene or object where the image consists of a set of discrete
distance measurements, usually at low resolutions. The final
image is a collection of lines that relate to the relative position of
points on the object at discrete locations. Since the image is
already sliced, less processing is required in analysis of mapped
images, but less information can be extracted from the scene as
well. Each technique has its own merits, benefits, and limitations
and is used for different purposes, including navigation.

03/01/2024 Robotics, prepared by Prof. Dr. 10

Mahdi Alshamasin